How to Write Melodies for Songs

More than any other factor, the melody will determine the appeal and success of the songs you write. A hit song can have unremarkable accompaniment and unintelligible lyrics, but it must have a melody that catches the listener’s ear.

You can write a melody to apply to lyrics you’ve already written, or you can write one from scratch and put it to words later see How to Write Lyrics for Songs). You can create catchy melodies in either scenario with help from the five-step method explained below:

1. Improvise to generate ideas for melodies.
2. Write a melody for the chorus.
3. Write a melody for the verses.
4. Write a melody for the prechorus.
5. Write a melody for the bridge.

Improvise to Generate Ideas for Melodies

In music, improvisation means playing purely from “feel,“ or inspiration, without conforming to a set piece of music. To create melodies for your songs, you need to improvise. You can improvise by just singing, playing notes on an instrument without singing, or by singing over musical accompaniment provided by an instrument, such as the guitar or piano.

How to Improvise

Improvising melodies is the process of using your voice or instrument to play notes extemporaneously until you hit on a sequence of notes that could make for a pleasing melody. To get started improvising melodies:

1. Gather a pen, paper, instrument(s), and recording device, such as a tape recorder or voice-recording mp3 player. Use the pen and paper to jot down notes about melodies you like or to write down lyrics when inspiration strikes.
2. Experiment with melodies in a private place where no one will hear you, and you won’t disturb anyone.
3. Sing or play individual notes until you come up with a pattern of notes that sounds interesting or catchy.
4. Isolate the pattern of notes and then experiment with it. For instance, try adding or removing notes from the series or extending or shortening the lengths of some of the notes.
5. When you have a pattern that sounds fluid and complete from start to finish, you have a melody.
6. If you have a recording device, record the melody. If you don’t, jot down details about the pattern of the notes in the melody. This will help you recall the melody later. You can often tell that you’ve written a good melody if it sticks in your own head once you’ve written it.

Apply this melody-writing approach to each of your song’s main parts, such as the verse, chorus, and bridge. Bear in mind that the types of melodies you write for each part of the song will differ.

Write Melodies for the Chorus

Since the chorus is the centerpiece of the song, it should contain your strongest, most memorable, and most singable or hummable melody. When writing a chorus melody:

• Keep it short: The chorus melody should last no more than 10–20 seconds.
• Keep it simple: Chorus melodies often contain just a few notes in a simple pattern. For instance, the chorus of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” a Grammy-nominated #1 single, contains just five words and seven notes. To test whether your chorus is sufficiently simple, consider whether a young child could sing along with it.
• Write it higher: Songwriters often make the chorus stand out by writing it an octave or so higher than the notes in the other parts of the song.

Write Melodies for the Verses

The main purpose of the verse melody is to create musical tension that leads to the prechorus, chorus, or bridge. To add tension to a verse melody:

• Start low and build: A verse melody should start relatively low and subdued, then rise in intensity as it builds toward the chorus, prechorus, or bridge. A common way to build intensity is to use increasingly higher notes as the verse progresses.
• Create contrast: The rhythm of the notes in your verse melody should differ noticeably from that of your other melodies. For instance, if your chorus melody uses long, flowing notes, make your verse melody tighter and choppier. That way the chorus has a resounding effect that distinguishes it and makes it all the more memorable to the listener.

Write Melodies for the Prechorus

The prechorus melody should link the verse melody to the chorus melody. Think of it as a brief introduction to the chorus that brings to a head the tension created by the verse melody. When writing a prechorus melody:

• Keep it subtle: The shift from the verse melody to the prechorus melody shouldn’t be jarring. Instead, try to make the prechorus melody sound as if it leads from the last note of the verse to the first note of the chorus.
• Leave the listener hanging: The end of the prechorus melody should be like a cliffhanger that leaves the listener on edge, eagerly anticipating the pleasing sense of resolution that the chorus melody will bring.

If you’re writing a song that contains a bridge, give it a melody that stands out noticeably from the rest of the song:

• Mix up the rhythm: The rhythm of the bridge melody should depart dramatically from that of the rest of the song. For instance, if the melodies in the verses and chorus contain choppy, distinct notes, the bridge melody might have long, soaring notes instead.
• Change the range: The notes in the bridge melody should be higher or lower than the notes included throughout the verse and chorus. Often songwriters write the bridge in an entirely different key so that the underlying musical feel of the bridge differs strongly from that of the rest of the song.

Other Considerations for Melody Writing

No matter what specific melody you’re working on, consider a couple of general guidelines:

• Melodies must be sung: Melodies must accomodate the singer’s range and ability. Typically this means keeping the melody contained within two octaves (at most) and avoiding vast leaps among the notes within those octaves; an average singer might not be able to accommodate those leaps.
• Melodies must usually be set to words: If you’re writing melodies after you’ve written your lyrics, refer to the lyrics as you compose your melodies to make sure the melodies work with your words. If you’re writing melodies before writing lyrics, avoid making your melodies overly long and complex—doing so may make it impossible to assign lyrics to them.